According to InfoTrends/CAP Ventures' research, nearly 80 million inkjet devices were installed last year, making this the dominant printer technology in the desktop arena. The number of inkjet multifunctional imaging devices installed in the U.S. is growing very quickly due to customers' desire for increased functionality within a single product. This increased desire has been a major enabler of the specialty media market. Out of the 116 billion prints produced on paper-based media by inkjet products in 2004, specialty media was used for nearly 30 billion of these prints. Commodity and specialty media are expected to experience steady growth between 2002 and 2007.

During that same timeframe, inkjet media will continue to show signs of growth and will increase at a CAGR (compound annual growth rate) of 3.5%.

Labeled as specialty media, these products offer a wide variety of choices in terms of finishes, package sizes, and product types. Specialty paper products do not include plain paper or multipurpose papers. The market is dominated by coated papers, photo papers, card stock, and label supplies (transparencies are dying if not dead).

A growth in the number of prints is expected to occur in every key specialty media product category except for coated papers due to the improved quality and lower price of uncoated papers. Photo papers are experiencing the highest growth rates due to low-priced digital cameras, easy electronic transmission of images, and the introduction of printers priced below $50. InfoTrends/CAP Ventures expects the sales of all photo papers to experience a CAGR of 16% between 2002 and 2007.

InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ new research report entitled U.S. Narrow Format Inkjet Media Report for 2004 provides an in-depth look at the market for desktop inkjet media in the United States. The report outlines current and future trends, and discusses the opportunities and challenges faced by companies in this dynamic market. The report also includes a summary of InfoTrends/CAP Ventures’ most current estimates for total market size.

The researchis available immediately to clients of InfoTrends/CAP Ventures' Specialty Media Consulting Service and North American Communication Supplies Consulting Service.